Concentration camps of central Kazakhstan (1930-1960)

The GULAG was not merely an administrative and punitive system; it constituted the very foundation of the Bolshevik regime's totalitarian existence after coming to power. In this context, our study, titled "Labor Camps of Central Kazakhstan (1930-1960)," aims to analyze the penal system in Kazakhstan and its implementation in the special camps established in the studied region. Apart from the introduction, the thesis consists of four chapters. The first chapter provides a definition of the GULAG and presents a comprehensive discussion on its establishment and development based on archival documents and secondary sources from the period. It then examines the founding and operational characteristics of the KARLAG labor and correctional camps, established in the Karaganda region of central Kazakhstan. The second chapter investigates the special camps founded within KARLAG after World War II, designated for "traitors to the motherland" and high-security convicts, providing detailed information on each camp. The third chapter explores the daily lives and working conditions of prisoners in these special camps. The final chapter discusses the fate of the GULAG system, its dissolution, and the formation of a new penal system. The primary sources of this study are predominantly archival documents, monographs, and research articles. A major limitation of the thesis is the inaccessibility of many archival materials due to their scattered nature and the classification of certain records as "confidential." Keywords: GULAG, KARLAG, ALJİR, special Camps, USSR.